Naveen files nomination from Hinjili

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Berhampur: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday filed his nomination for the Assembly polls from Hinjili constituency in Ganjam district and expressed confidence about BJD retaining power in the state.

Patnaik, who is also president of the ruling BJD, filed four sets of nomination papers at the sub-collector’s office at the district headquarter town of Chhatrapur, official sources said.

Accompanied by ministers S N Patro and Usha Devi several other MLAs, the chief minister voiced confidence about his victory from Hinjili assembly constituency, from where he is running for the fourth time in a row.

"I expect the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to do very well indeed in the forthcoming elections", Naveen Patnaik reacted to media after filing the papers.

A three-time legislator from Hinjili, Patnaik also exhibited optimism about BJD retaining power in the state by winning majority of seats in the assembly election, which are scheduled to take place with lok sabha polls.

After winning the assembly election from Hinjili constituency in 2000, the BJD supremo tasted victory from the same segment in his home district in successive assembly polls held in 2004 and 2009.

This time, Patnaik is likely to face a multi-corner contest. While Congress is yet to name its candidate, BJP has announced Devanand Mohapatra as its choice for the seat and other parties are likely to field their nominees.

On the other hand, BJP's heavyweight Dilip Ray filed his nomination for Rourkela Assembly constituency today. A grand procession accompanied him to the returning officer's office.

Ray, a former minister, promised a clean Rourkela, sanitised slum areas.

"What I had done during my tenure with meager funds. This time, I will first give priority to the sanitation, drinking water facility and construction of toilets in slum areas and then construction of Panposh bridge", Dilip Ray said.

(With input from PTI)